UPDATE 3:00 P.M.: The Detwiler Fire in Mariposa County continues to grow. It has burned 45,724 acres and is just 7 percent contained.

Scott McClean with CAL FIRE says there are several components to fighting a wildfire like the Detwiler.

"You have your aircraft, sure the drops of retardent, that actually in some cases actually steer a fire to a certain degree. You have your dozers," he says. "You have your inmate crews. You have your engine crews. It's the ground pounders on the ground that need to work with those airdrops , for one example, to beef them up, to get in there and get the fight done."

McClean also says the flames are burning in areas that are very dry despite the wet winter.

"Add the topography, add the heat, add the very low humidity in those areas, this is definitely a topography and fuel driven fire," says McClean.

The fire has forced about 5,000 people from their homes. The town of Mariposa was evacuated Tuesday and residents of Coulterville and Greeley Hill were told to leave their homes Wednesday.

The fire jumped the Merced River Tuesday and has raced past several containment lines.

There are 2,200 people helping fight the fire, the number of personnel doubled from yesterday.